So this blog has been a thought process that has been on my mind for about a month now... Since this last month has been absolutely crazy for me I am finally taking the time to sit down and write it out... Lord willing it will flow the way that He wants it to!
Most of my thoughts for blogs come when driving and you have no way to write them down... luckily I thought of my cell phone and how it has the recorder on it and so now hopefully when driving and thoughts catapult there way into my mind I will have a way to remember them!
But I digress.... the thought that I had while driving was how beautiful God has lined the roads with beautiful wildflowers! Matthew 6 has always been one of my favorite chapters, primarily the last 5-7 verses. I was looking through the translations to find which one I wanted to put in here and read The Message translation... which isn't one I usually read but really spoke something to me...
~Matthew 6:30-33~
30-33"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. "
WOW!!! I know that I know this concept in my head but reading it show's me how far I have to go to get to the point where I fully trust God with my life and know that if He cares about making the hills pretty with wildflowers how much more He wants to sprinkle my life with His beautiful touches!
When driving I also thought about how fleeting the wildflowers are. During the spring there were these beautiful purple and white flowers that were distributed perfectly along side the road by God himself... As the days grew warmer the flowers withered away and I found myself wistful, wishing that they could stay around forever! I reasoned that now the rest of the summer would go by with no wildflowers along the road leaving just sun burnt grass and remnants of what was once beautiful... Man was I wrong!!! God has a better plan than that and I began seeing it unfold over the next couple weeks as stronger, heartier wildflowers slowly poked their heads out from their hiding place, basking in the warm summer sun! I was overjoyed at the idea that God knew what wildflowers should come out for the different seasons and how He even cared about that!
Which brought me to my life lesson....
Have you ever held on to something in your life thinking that it was "as good as it got" when God was telling you to let it go? I have!
Have you ever worried about the future and wondered how things were going to work out, everything so uncertain? I have!
Just like I wanted to hold on to those spring wildflowers because I didn't see the future and know that God had summer wildflowers waiting in the wing, I have held on to people, places and things, thinking that there would be nothing to replace them... that this was as good as it got.
Or... have you ever had a dream or ambition that you were looking forward to and God was telling you "not right now"? I have....
Did you repeatedly plead with God to reveal His plan but secretly worried about what that plan might be and fearful that it doesn't line up with what you want for your life? I definitely have!!
Eight months ago I had my own beautiful apartment... had an ok job that had its ups and downs but could be very fulfilling at times... had a church home that I was starting to get to know people... had my little group of good friends... had my mom right in the next town and there for me when ever I needed.
In one month of looking back over India pictures to prepare a presentation of my trip in 2008 sent my world spiraling out of control! I prayed and pleaded with God that I might go back for a year and work at another orphanage. I moved in with my mom to save money and pay off bills... Things with India kept falling through... I wanted to leave by August yet things weren't falling into place... then my mom met someone... and God revealed that my India trip wasn't a no... just a not right now! I wouldn't have been here for it all had I left when I planned! Thank God He knows the plans that we don't! And then some how... it still baffles me how God works!... I have the opportunity to move down to South Carolina for a season and spend quality time with my brother during his last year of college!
If someone would have told me a year ago that all these things would unfold I don't know if I would have believed them!
But God knew!
And He so graciously asks for the wildflowers of our lives that we are clinging to even as they wither away in our hands...
He says open your hands so that I can give you new stronger wildflowers (dreams and ambitions)!
He wants to bless our lives so much and show us how many amazing things He has in store for those who love Him!
He has better dreams and plans than we could even ask or fathom, He is just waiting for us to say...
Your will not mine!
When driving I also thought about how fleeting the wildflowers are. During the spring there were these beautiful purple and white flowers that were distributed perfectly along side the road by God himself... As the days grew warmer the flowers withered away and I found myself wistful, wishing that they could stay around forever! I reasoned that now the rest of the summer would go by with no wildflowers along the road leaving just sun burnt grass and remnants of what was once beautiful... Man was I wrong!!! God has a better plan than that and I began seeing it unfold over the next couple weeks as stronger, heartier wildflowers slowly poked their heads out from their hiding place, basking in the warm summer sun! I was overjoyed at the idea that God knew what wildflowers should come out for the different seasons and how He even cared about that!
Which brought me to my life lesson....
Have you ever held on to something in your life thinking that it was "as good as it got" when God was telling you to let it go? I have!
Have you ever worried about the future and wondered how things were going to work out, everything so uncertain? I have!
Just like I wanted to hold on to those spring wildflowers because I didn't see the future and know that God had summer wildflowers waiting in the wing, I have held on to people, places and things, thinking that there would be nothing to replace them... that this was as good as it got.
Or... have you ever had a dream or ambition that you were looking forward to and God was telling you "not right now"? I have....
Did you repeatedly plead with God to reveal His plan but secretly worried about what that plan might be and fearful that it doesn't line up with what you want for your life? I definitely have!!
Eight months ago I had my own beautiful apartment... had an ok job that had its ups and downs but could be very fulfilling at times... had a church home that I was starting to get to know people... had my little group of good friends... had my mom right in the next town and there for me when ever I needed.
In one month of looking back over India pictures to prepare a presentation of my trip in 2008 sent my world spiraling out of control! I prayed and pleaded with God that I might go back for a year and work at another orphanage. I moved in with my mom to save money and pay off bills... Things with India kept falling through... I wanted to leave by August yet things weren't falling into place... then my mom met someone... and God revealed that my India trip wasn't a no... just a not right now! I wouldn't have been here for it all had I left when I planned! Thank God He knows the plans that we don't! And then some how... it still baffles me how God works!... I have the opportunity to move down to South Carolina for a season and spend quality time with my brother during his last year of college!
If someone would have told me a year ago that all these things would unfold I don't know if I would have believed them!
But God knew!
And He so graciously asks for the wildflowers of our lives that we are clinging to even as they wither away in our hands...
He says open your hands so that I can give you new stronger wildflowers (dreams and ambitions)!
He wants to bless our lives so much and show us how many amazing things He has in store for those who love Him!
He has better dreams and plans than we could even ask or fathom, He is just waiting for us to say...
Your will not mine!
